Hannah Waddingham’s career has been going gangbusters since Ted Lasso, and she has her pick of projects and offers. It feels like she’s saying “yes” to almost everything. Which is fine with me – she’s not an ingénue, she’s a 49 year old working actress who got her biggest break three years ago. All of which to say, she has a small role in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two, which comes out in May. She apparently enjoyed her time working with Tom Cruise (I imagine she towered over him).

Hannah Waddingham appeared on the Christmas episode of ITV’s “James Martin’s Saturday Morning” (via The Independent) and revealed she’s ready to defend Tom Cruise against his critics after working with the Oscar nominee on the upcoming “Mission: Impossible 8.” It was announced in March that the “Ted Lasso” Emmy winner was joining Cruise and the “Mission: Impossible” gang in the eighth installment, which was originally designed as the second part to “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.”

Waddingham’s “Mission: Impossible 8” character has not yet been revealed, but she said she spent five intense days with Cruise filming the action tentpole on the USS George H.W. Bush fighter carrier. She revealed she still has “another kind of main scene” to shoot with Cruise once production restarts.

“I have to say, I have a real problem with anybody that goes at [Tom Cruise] now,” Waddingham said. “Having met him and having spent five days intensely…He is without doubt one of the loveliest and encouraging, positive and inspiring human beings I have ever met. Isn’t he gorgeous? I have no time for anyone saying anything about him.”

Waddingham told SiriusXM earlier this month that she grew up on boats because her father was in the river police her entire life, so she was more than eager to film her “Mission: Impossible 8” scenes while on an actual fighter carrier. “I know this world so much,” she remembered saying to Cruise and the film’s director, Christopher McQuarrie. “I’ve got this down. Don’t worry. I’m used to brushing my teeth in a tiny little cabin.”

[From Variety]

People are mad that she’s defending a guy in a cult, and I get that. But let me also say that while Tom Cruise is absolutely in a cult (and he’s an important, privileged person in that cult), he’s also super-respected within the industry because of his professionalism and generosity towards his fellow actors. Like, Emily Blunt adores Tom. Timothee Chalamet adores Tom. Kirstin Dunst adores Tom. SAG-AFTRA adores Tom too, they used him as an intermediary with the studios during the strike. Plus, I always get the feeling that British people just don’t “get” why Scientology is so f–king weird and how it’s such a big thing in LA.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

ROME, ITALY – JUNE 19: Tom Cruise attends the Global Premiere of Paramount Pictures’ ”Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” at Auditorium della Conciliazione on June 19, 2023 in Rome, Italy.,Image: 784329234, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Cristiano Minichiello / AGF Foto / Avalon

Italy, Rome, June 19th, 2023. World premiere of the action movie ‘Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning part one’ in Spanish Steps. Pictured: Tom Cruise,Image: 784338606, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: **** World right excluding Italy ****, Model Release: no, Credit line: Fabio Mazzarella / Agenzia Sintesi / Avalon

UK premiere of ‘Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ in Leicester Square. Featuring: Tom Cruise Where: London, United Kingdom When: 22 Jun 2023 Credit: Nils Jorgensen/INSTARimages

Apple TV+ event to celebrate the launch of “Hannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas” and “The Velveteen Rabbit”, at Everyman Borough Yards, London Featuring: Hannah Waddingham Where: London, United Kingdom When: 22 Nov 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**

Hannah Waddingham on ‘Good Morning America’ to talk about new Christmas special ‘Hannah Waddingham’s Holiday Special Home for Christmas’ in New York Featuring: Hannah Waddingham Where: New York, United States When: 19 Dec 2023 Credit: Roger Wong/INSTARimages

Hannah Waddingham visits the ‘Sherri Shepherd Show’ to talk about new Christmas special ‘Hannah Waddingham’s Holiday Special Home For Christmas’ in New York Featuring: Hannah Waddingham Where: New York, United States When: 19 Dec 2023 Credit: Roger Wong/INSTARimages